iZombie S4E10 Review: Yippee Ki Brain, Motherscratcher

Just as iZombie seemed to get its groove back, we got this episode. It wasn’t horrible by any means, I just wanted more. The idea of Liv on the brain of an old school cop sounded like it was going to be hilarious and there were moments of greatness—Liv beating a guy with a fish was spectacular. Yet the brain only seemed to influence her at work and nowhere else. It’s these little incongruencies that mess up the rhythm of the show. I think the brain influence took a back burner for some story progression, and I’m not complaining about that (well I kind of am), it just felt a little forced.

Major finds out Liv is Renegade after confronting her about a tracker she placed in his uniform. This should have been a scene fraught with emotion and yet they both seem like jerks, and Levon and Isobel take away from the moment. Major calls Liv out, saying she can only find meaning in being a hero. Is that a bad thing? Is Liv a hero because she needs to help people, or does helping people satisfy a need in her? Does it matter? I still don’t agree with the cause Renegade is backing. Again, with limited resources, i.e. brains, making more zombies is irresponsible. I get how this news is disappointing to Major and how it puts in him in a very difficult situation. Liv has on multiple occasions put others at risk for what she thinks is right and that’s not cool. She and Major have a long history, and I don’t think he is going to rat her out, but how many times can she push a person away, disregard their feelings, and not expect some repercussions?

I feel like I’m bashing on Liv but I really like her– or I wouldn’t be watching the show! I just think she might be losing her way like Major. Maybe it is a side-effect of being a zombie; at some point all the brains ingested muddle together and set a person adrift. Liv took up the mantle of Renegade while on a theater brain and I think part of her likes the idea of being documented as a savior. I hope I’m wrong about that, because that wouldn’t make her very different than Brother Love.

–Which is something I really hope Blaine is not buying into. I would not trust Angus as far as I could throw him; I know he is up to no good and I don’t want Blaine to fall for his shenanigans. Enzo, though, seems to be buying it—I think Brother Love just got a new disciple and I am curious to see how this will play out with Fillmore Graves. We only have three more episodes left, so things must be coming to a head soon. I think all the in-fighting amongst the zombie population might be a detriment to them—I just see it as a reason for outside forces to consider eradicating the zombie virus by any means necessary. If the series is to end I could see this being a very plausible outcome and that would mean not everyone would survive. I hope the show doesn’t go that route though, it seems way too dark for what had been (until this season) a light-hearted show.

AJ (the guy Liv went Kung Fu on in season one) is behind the counterfeit brain tubes! Really, he is the brains (pun intended) of the operation. I don’t know how I feel about this. Not that it matters; it just seems a random choice, though I suppose anyone would seem that way. Had it been one of the characters we are more familiar with, there might have been more impact to the reveal. Just imagine if it turned out to Bossio? Or Angus and his Brother Love routine was just a side hustle. I’m sure AJ’s role will be further explored, but with so many players already in the game, adding another seems superfluous.

I do want to touch on what I liked about this episode—how very meta of them to reference self-awareness in a zombie show, within a zombie show. Or the mention of running out of budget so all the cool stuff happens off screen, then Clive goes on and explains all the cool stuff he has been doing. It’s those kinds of scenes that are hilarious and prove this is a witty and funny show. The puns, the tongue and cheek banter, and physical comedy are what the show does best and are what should be showcased to their full extent– not the convoluted storylines we’ve been watching.